Coastal Services Center

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Tools For All Communities

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One of the strengths of the Coastal Storms Program is the coming together of various organizations to create new solutions for a region's storm-related issues. Often these solutions are applicable to other coastal communities. The tools and information linked from this page are applicable to most communities in the nation's coastal zone.

Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Tool
What hazards can impact your community? Where is your house in relation to storm surge or flood areas? Does your community have a mitigation plan? Do you know what the Community Rating System (CRS) is? Does your community participate? Use this Web site to learn how to conduct a risk and vulnerability assessment, map hazard locations in relation to your house, visualize three-dimensional storm surge, and learn about precautionary measures to protect your community from coastal storms.

Inland Flood Planning and Response Tool
Federal, state, and local officials and emergency managers can access real-time flood-related information, such as current rainfall estimates, rainfall forecasts, and current and forecasted river stages with the Inland Flood Planning and Response Tool, available within HURREVAC. This information can be used to update or develop inland flood-related evacuation and response plans, and conduct exercises and drills.

HAZUS
HAZUS-MH is a powerful risk assessment software created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for analyzing potential losses from floods, hurricane winds and earthquakes. Current scientific and engineering knowledge is coupled with the latest geographic information systems (GIS) technology to produce estimates of hazard-related damage before, or after, a disaster occurs.

Coastal No Adverse Impacts Handbook
Coastal No Adverse Impact (CNAI) as outlined by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) provides a new and effective coastal management philosophy to minimize the current and future loss of life, damage to property, and degradation of the coastal environment. CNAI floodplain management is essentially a “do-no-harm” policy based on the concept that everyone benefits when the actions of every community or property owner does not adversely affect others.  Training is now available on the handbook and can be request through the website.

Risk-Wise Partnership
A Risk-Wise Partnership is a new effort spearheaded by the NOAA Coastal Services Center to develop a partnership network, educational strategy, and resource toolkit to help decision-makers, advocates, and local, elected officials  to improve their community’s resilience to climate and weather hazards.  The strategy will link existing tools and information resources and key partnerships and include development of common educational messages and resources to encourage simple, results-oriented action to lessen the impacts of hazards.

Storm Information for Coastal Officials
Do you know where to find storm-related data and resources on the Internet?  Do you have a hard time keeping up with these Web sites?  This web resource is designed to assist coastal officials with finding the data and tools needed before, during, and after a storm. It contains: 1) The Storm Data Resource Guide that will direct you to many of the Web sites that provide storm-related data and tools; and 2)The Storm Mapping Tutorial to guide you through the steps to obtain, display and map storm-related data using geographic information systems (GIS).